‘I WAS NOT AWARE IT WAS A PUBLIC ROAD’

Drink-driver, 28, caught in his friend’s car at drive-thru

A NURSING assistant has been banned from the roads after he was caught drink-driving at a Mcdonald’s drive-thru.

Xavier Thomashutty drove his friend’s car around the drivethru at Festival Park, right, to buy some ice cream.

But staff suspected the 28-year-old, who has no driving licence and was not insured, was drunk and contacted the police. Prosecutor Lee Stone told North Staffordshire Justice Centre the incident happened in the early hours of April 9.

Mr Stone said: “Police were called to Mcdonald’s, Festival Park. One of the operators contacted the police as he suspected a driver was under the influence of alcohol. The vehicle had parked in the car park and was still there when police attended.

“The defendant was identified as the driver. He failed a roadside breath test. He was taken to custody where he gave an evidential reading of 70 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, twice the legal limit of 35. “He only had a provisional licence and was not on the insurance.”

In his police interview Thomashutty said his friend was driving and they had been through the drive-thru once. He decided to drive the car through the drive-thru once more to get some more things. He admitted driving the vehicle.

Thomashutty, of West Brampton, Newcastle , pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

Representing himself, Thomashutty said: “I just drove through the Mcdonald’s lane. I was not aware it was a public road.

“My friend went to the toilet. He told me he wanted ice cream. I drove through the drive-thru. He had ice cream. The police came.”

Magistrates banned Thomashutty from the roads for 18 months. They also fined him £120 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge. His ban will be reduced by 18 weeks if he completes a drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.